Been listening to this show for a few days, Wow! Great Opening til end. Phenomenal Aud recording

Everything that’s been said is correct! Was third of six in a row we caught. Best of the run! I get that EVERY song is stellar. But, Holy shit! An insane albeit quick OTHER ONE that’s barely mentioned!
I’m a HUGE aud guy.

World Cup 2022 News Live

Get the latest news happening in the world here: Total Reporter

Everything that’s been said is correct! Was third of six in a row we caught. Best of the run! I get that EVERY song is stellar. But, Holy shit! An insane albeit quick OTHER ONE that’s barely mentioned!
I’m a HUGE aud guy. But I clearly remember Phil absolutely pounding this, as well as Jerry and the boys, but not quite getting it on this. But who gives a shit! What a show. How I miss this. Wish there was more video over the years. Just goes to show you. A relatively routine set list can be amazing! Because the songs are fucking great!

Truly one of the greatest AUDs ever. A true reference.

One of the best audience recordings I've ever heard.

As healthful as superfoods might be, the use of the term is largely a marketing tool. Scientists do not use the term. For example, a search for "superfood" on PubMed, the repository of most peer-reviewed biomedical journal articles, yields fewer than a dozen results. And several of these studies actually warn of dangers of superfoods, such as arsenic and pesticide residue in imported foods. [Infographic: Pesticides Lurk in Fruits & Veggies]
Ultra Omega Burn

the boys definitely throw down the hammer on this extra long and saucy China ~ Rider.

I'm with a lot of folks in believing that the Garden often brought out the best in the band, and this is probably the all-around most amazing show I ever attended. Every song played to its fullest, and I vividly remember how my jaw dropped during the quiet parts of Stella Blue - 22,000 people holding their collective breath. Awesome. five nights at freddy's

But I'm listening to the China-Rider in my office and crying. I miss these guys so much.

thank you Barry Glassberg and Jim Wise. whoever the fuck you are :)

Great show a bittersweet show. They were great that night. It was the last time I went with someone I truly loved she loved Uncle Johns and I can still remember her exciting look on her beautiful face.

It took 35 years but have made contact together again! I will never forget this show!

As all others have noted this is one helluva performance captured on one incredible recording. Wow is right. Great stuff. Strange sounds (Brent on Minglewood, Bob at the start of China Cat sounding like Peter Frampton, etc.). Might just very well be one of the most energetic and well played show of the 80's, my personal favorite decade.

The recording is pristine, and the show gets off to a good start but after the first couple songs it doesn't really stand out.

We all know about (whether attended or via tapes) 10/11/83 and the numerous shows in fall of '87 and '90.

BUT this is the definition of the Grateful Dead at their finest. Forget a few flubbed lyrics.

This show is a killer and unbelievably has not been selected for a Vault, et el release.

Stranger>Althea sets the tone. And the boys just keep going.

You need this one.

I agree (on a different source) with the reviewer who said this is the best show of 1981 (apologies to 5/6/81). It might be a tie!!

God bless and enjoy

My very FIRST Dead Show!!!!! Loved it! God bless you Jerry....

Thank you, Barry Glassberg! This guy makes nothing but fat audience recordings....do yourself a favor and click on his name at the top of this page, and browse all his recordings. Especially, check out the Glassberg stuff mastered by MOTB "Mouth of the Beast".

This tape sound dynamite, with great 3D spatial room sound and up-front punch. FOB DFC is the spot to make tapes...just listen. I think this tape is rivals the SBD without the sterile SBD sound. Great performance from the band, too. Garcia's guitar just pierces MSG...5 stars for recording, 4 stars for the performance. Glassberg is the bomb!

...or a soundboard snob, for that matter. Otherwise I'd miss out on great shows like this!!

Feel Like a Stranger opener sets the tone for a raging first set that includes a great CC Rider, a fun and funky deep elem blues, and a spectacular birdsong.

Also, the China>Rider is a must-have!!! they tear it up on this one. Some great jammin going on there throughout.

Fantastic start to finish! The China Rider is worth a listen or two.

____________ ____________
|__|__|__|_|__|__|_ _|________\
|__|__Grateful Dead _|_|______/
|______________ ___ |_| _____|
|_(@'@)____________| _|(@)__/

Why does this china>rider stand out? I was there... before the set began, the crowd was going crazy as they took the stage... and the guy next to me starts chanting "china cat!!!" on the second balcony standing over the stage next to Jerry. And then, the whole crowd is getting into it and yelling for china cat over and over and over, like we we're not going to take NO for an answer. And Jerry starts cracking up, with that 1/2 bent over gait swaying, if you've ever been to a show and seen Jerry when he can't stop laughing at the crowd and the crowd laughing at him. (or, like maybe you were at Red Rocks the second night in 1987 and saw him cracking up at me after the 1st song HIAB?)

I was in the shadows of the Tree's of Life and Knowledge at this MSG show after going into a total blackout into total white light during the first set.. long story.....

Searching for the best all-time China>Riders brought me to this show. This version here to open the 2nd set is with no doubt one of the best of all time. The China jam does not know when to quit and takes so many different paths on it's way to developing into an absolutely rockin' version of Rider. In the Rider Jerry slips in a solo between the "Sun gonna shine" and "Wish I was a headlight" verses, that is not only very well-placed but it also completely rips. As others have posted this show does have much more than this China>Rider. The Estimated>UJB combination is worth the download on their own, and the whole 1st set is all real good stuff. The Stranger may be best all-time, there is a fantastically rockin' ROR, a sweet version of Bird Song and then the 1st set closer Minglewood rocks with a very cool Brent guitar synth solo.

A great show that is well worth the download.

Stellar Deep Elem. Great aud. recording. Thanks for sharing it.

true dead-head personal remastering.

We should stick it to Rhino by doing it ourselves. We are all Grateful for this AUD rarity.

this is one of those rare AUD souces that meets and EXCEEDS its SBD counterpart... electric Deep Elem is nice even if Jerry butchered the verses; same for BIODTL... might be the two most rippin' versions of Samson and UJB i've heard, period.

if you don't have this one, what are you waiting for?!

Those opening notes with the fat little effects on them - THIS is what The Grateful Dead "is" - this is one of my favorite shows just for that reason alone! To add to this, the source is nice and clean. That makes me wanna smile, smile, smile.

Jerrmendous!

Please, take this from the tree...let it ripen a couple days...polish it...THEN take a bite.

Crisp...clean and nice output. No speedup that I can hear...just the jerrbear wah wah...and great vocals.

5 for energy
5 for an aud tape
5's for being high...fives.

Gosh bless you, me and the gosh darn greatful dead!!

...of an energy infused MSG offering. This show just plain rips.

Should've reviewed it sooner after listening too it, but remember loving it. Think this is the one where I, crazy as it sounds, almost like the 1st set better than the 2nd. At least, I had that though 2nd time through 1st set. It just flows so great. I also remember The Other One being particularly incredible.

Lot's of nice reviews here but no one mentions the killer Phil bomb that opens Stella Blue. I was at the show, and my deck was patched into Barry's (the source). Barry was kind enough to run it for me as my seat was upstairs, but that Stella opening nearly floored the entire building! The years all roll into one --- but that is a highlite that will always stand out in my memory. Barry made the best tapes from up front (undercover) after the tapers had been relegated to behind the board.

This is a nice sounding aud. recording. The best one iv'e heard on this site is Laguna Seca 7-29-88 check it out. 99 percent of my shows are sbd Laguna is an exception.

Say what you will about 1981, but this era had some great Bird Songs. This one does not disappoint. Jerry and the band really take the jam into to some interesting places, reminding me of the jazz-like jams of the '73-'74. Jerry is in good form on China Cat, and the jam into Rider is top notch Dead. Jerry continues the momemtum into Rider. Samson is also killer, as is Estimated. The jam into Uncle John's Band beautiful, morphing into some interesting territory, powerful, then introspective. Then yet another great jam in Uncle John's. Wow. But wait, there's more. We get a blistering Other One and a clean, rockin' close.

I'd rate this show's performance at 4 for the first set, 5 for the second (sound 4.8). The 3/5/81 show is solid 5 because the first set is stronger (has more outstanding first-set material). But this show has plenty of fabulous Dead to go around. And, like the 3/5 show, Archive.org lets us download it. Download them both.

Am glad these garden shows are here with such great sound. glad to have been apart of the early 80's shows. they just seems so SMOKIN...... great china/rider great sampson and mellow ship. could go on and on. just WOW WOW WOW

this show gets summed up in one beautiful note at 4:05 during a wonderful 'samson'....oh,and i nice mingus/parkeresque jam during 'estimated'.steep show,5 cool ones.

Greetings Fellow Dead Heads,

This has to be the 10th time I have stumbled back upon this show and have been floored in amazement. I agree with all the reviewers below - this show is ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂUp There.ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ

At the beginning of China Cat, someone, either Bobby or Mickey is playing some cool sounding instrument to the main Riff Jerry wrote for Bobby, it might even be Brent. Does any one know who or what this is?

Super nice flow into UJB and the Rider, like mentioned before, it Smokin Hot! If you need any amount of, ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂPick Me Up,ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàjust press play and let Stranger take you away.

Download this one, without hesitation, a fantastic addition to anyoneÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs collection ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàSB Freak or not.

~ Still Dead

Look, this show is the cat's meow. The Drums absolutely blisters the mind. And there ain't no slackin' in the rest of the show. The taper of this show did the world a huge service and i thank him heartily for his deadication. It's my opinion, but i say you will never regret downloading this show. It will surely rise into your top ten all-time audience recordings.

Baaahhh!
Early '80 MSG NYC never better than 9/20/82.
Go hither.

To the reviewer below, the 2nd solo is by Bobby with a slide.
Nice sound on this one.

that 2nd solo sounds nothing like jerry, both in tone and style. can anyone clarify?

Either way f*ckin fantastic show

1981 has been an under-represented year in my collection, mostly because the setlists were pretty similar and because most of the shows here are audience recordings. Now that this is all we have to download, my eyes have become opened to the extremely high quality of some of these recordings. So far, this one is my favorite. Jerry sounds amazing here, and the quality of the recording is easily as good as any soundboard I've gotten from this site. I can't wait to mine some more of these overlooked gems from the audience collection here at the archive.

Once in a great while I still run across one that is just a suprise treat. As was the case here...very unexpected, fun, good-time show. Fabulous feel to this one. One note...I think the space file is corrupted-at least I did not have good luck with it-

I was, and still am to a certain extent, a soundboard snob. Until hearing this show cranked up on my Boston Acoustics towers coupled with my PHAT Paradigm subwoofer. Talk about capturing the ambiance of the room. My wife(who is still replacing the pictures that shook off of the walls of our house) said, "How can you call MSG a room?" She doesn't understand. Get this show and you will. This show, the Red Rocks 82 shows, and the Richmond 85 shows, hands down the best AUDS on this site. Feel free to enlighten me about others.

I mean come on.....Lesh and Garcia rip the living hell out of this china->rider.... I mean really, the first solo on the Rider is just incredible and seems to go on for ever. Jerry rips into the Rider like a DEA agent busting into Chong's house, but faster and when combined with the rediculous groove Lesh lays down...oh man, hold on! Oh and the rest of the show ain't to bad either, nice Stranger!

definitely a fine upgrade. the original recording offered up was rather thin. while i miss downloading boards, i've always preferred an HQ aud to board anyday. this one is worth it. 80s at their finest. just check out the rants and raves from all the fired up fans.

boy 19 years before my first taste of MSG sure sounds sweeeeettt!!!

Great sound! Felt like I was right their on the floor of the Garden. Sound in awesome. Jerry is rippin'
4.5 stars for the recording (Brent is low in the mix voice mix)
4 stars for the band...

5 stars cause you can download it
WELL WORTH THE DL regardless

This was my first show. I was so blessed through out the years in catching what most heads believed to be really good shows and 6 or 7 of the 60 I went to eneded up as Dick's Picks. Yet nothing beets the energy of this show and I can't believe how hot this Stranger is!!! I was sixteen and had a 15th row seat for my first show and all hell broke lose. I was hooked from that point on. Thank you archives for letting me be able to experience this show. I never was able to get a copy of until now. Archives Rule!

what a fantastic show. Jerry takes you for a melodic ride, as he has a tendency to do, on Estimated. Is there anything more pleasing to the ear? It's hard to imagine that any fan of their music could have a hard time appreciating the 80's era with Brent aboard.

Easily my favorite Feel Like A Stranger and a rockin' Deep Elem Blues! Overall, the First Set is worth the price of admission and the Second Set is no slouch, either. Check it out!!

I ask you. Jerry's just going. one of my favorite 1981 shows. Soooooo good.

10/13 Listening again to my first show- possibly the finest soloing on an Estimated Prophet from Jerry that I have ever heard. I would love if someone else can point me to a better EP for Jerry.

Wow. I have never heard this since the night I went. This was my first ever dead show, and I regret I did not turn on to the Dead until the early 80's when I was in my early 20's. The amazing thing about this, is I had NO idea how great this show was, as I had nothing to compare it to. I went to 40 or 50 more shows over the years, and listening to this one, this is absolutely a top 10, if not a top 10 show from this time period. Garcia's leads all night were mind-blowingly orgasmic.

Hey now...I'm slow but surely getting all the show I ever went to...this is #3 GD...10/30 & 31-80 were #'s 1&2....Then I saw a JGB show @ my eventual Alma mater-Glassboro State College...then this one....it even predates my 1st spectrum show...considering I was a kid from the philly area and had no car at the time..It's a wonder this is my first "regular tour" show ..nothing special like #'s 1&2 were at the Radio City Music Hall...

What I remember this is a barnburner from begining to end...A must have..Enjoy!!

hard rock--start to finish, the best show i have heard from this era. (era = post donna till coma 86) The bird song and other one are ethereal. the minglewood that follows BS is just raunchy good. The china rider is the best version i have heard from any era. great transition, and jerry hits the peaks with authority on IKYR. Jerry's guitar is so crisp throughout the whole show-id put his playing on this night up against anyone. its these types of shows that built the mystique of the dead.

its a 5 star show.

All the reviews of this show are right on.
This was my first show at MSG, and it was f#ck*n' awesome. Deep Elem rocked, Bird Song was insane!
This was one of those nights where everything clicked. In between sets I scored a tasty spot right in front of Jerry just as China Cat was kickin'off. Great Stuff!!!!!!!!!!

The whole show smokes, and the sound is excellent as well. But what really sets this one apart is the China Cat > Rider. No, I haven't listened to all 552 China Cats, but if you know of a better one please tell me about it. This version is just sick! At 10+ minutes, this appears to be the longest version they ever played, and every note is perfect. Rider is no slouch, either.

smokin...sound is very good too. 4 stars

This show is a great example of why 1981-1982 were peak years for the Dead. Garica was ripping it up on guitar, vocals were excellent, Phil was all over with the bass lines and Brent had found his place. I love the auds from 1981. The sound quality here is fantastic. The playing is inspired throughout with special mention the Estimated-UJB jams. Grab all these great shows while you can.

ditto what everyone said, and you just gotta love an electric Deep Elem Blues.

Killer night! The sound quality is impecable and the band rips it up with lots of energy. Great playing and great vocals. It's one of those recordings where you really feel that the band is pumped to be there and the audience is glad to have them. It was nights like this that could make the garden feel small. Turn up the "Ramble On Rose" and you'll see exactly what I'm saying.

This show is the bomb. Like said before, the China>Rider is as smooth as it gets. Super-duper show.

Really hot bird song followed by an incandescent Minglewood and once again my theory that whenever they played ramble on rose the show was a shocker post Donna & Keith. Agree this is top 3 of the year, First set of Lehigh, Set III of New Years, First set of Cole Field House, Dayton, But this whole thing sizzles even for the Garden known for great shows. Est>Uncle John's is long and drippy....

Best show I've heard from '81, hands down.

You need this show if you like the dead in the 80s. 90% of the songs they played this night were among the best versions they ever played. A definite X night.

this is a personal favorite of mine. sweet deep elem.

The Uncle Johns Band comes out of Estimated so naturally. The Other One out of space is awesome and the Stella is given an extra-special-vocal treatment (although it could have gone on a little longer before Good Lovin'). This is the perfect AUD too, can't believe it's Madison Square Garden!

i still can't believe this amazing show is an audience taping.......sound is great and the chinacat-IKYR is just about the best ever.and the absolutely smokin Samson & Delilah where Jerry just rips the notes to shreds...they are they all simply on fire this night..and being able to hear the audience buzzing the whole show makes this a an absolute keeper..whoever fixed this recording..bless you!!!!!!!!!

NYC shows brought out the dead in a big way. This gig has them pulling out all the high energy for the first set. Great version of Stranger, with Garica just smoking through the jam. Bird Song is also very hot. Some fun standards like BIODTL and ROR, where the crowd really get into it.

China Rider....this is where its at. Pure liquid. Everything works here. A smooth transition and great power coming through in Rider.

The sound is *excelling* for this venue. Wise, you're a god!

Excellent high energy show start to finish. My personal favorite China>Rider ever! Jerry is ripping and Phil is right there too. I highly recommend this show. A true five star performance.

wow, this show and recording are top notch. Jerry wails throughout the show and the recording captures every beautiful space within the garden that night. Highlights include a rip-snorting stranger, a strange intro to china cat and a brent solo in minglewood that sounds somewhere between a guitar and a cat in heat!